Feds: Rhode Island college building collapse preventable

Updated 10:59 am, Wednesday, February 17, 2016

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal officials have determined that the collapse of an athletic building under construction at a Rhode Island university was preventable.

Workers were installing steel beams on a new indoor practice facility at Bryant University in Smithfield on Sept. 1 when the beams collapsed. Six workers were injured, none seriously.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Wednesday that Barnes Buildings & Management Group didn't erect the steel framework for the facility according to the manufacturer's plan. Barnes Buildings also failed to install adequate bracing to ensure the framework was stable during erection.

A message left for Barnes Buildings wasn't immediately returned.

OSHA issued citations on Feb. 8 for one willful and one serious violation of workplace safety standards. Proposed penalties total $59,290.